Patent Application
20060288619
The disclosed technology relates to a point of purchase display for displaying and selling products. More particularly, the disclosed technology relates to a point of purchase display for displaying and selling, for example, hand tools such as paint and decorating hand tools, that facilitates user selection of the appropriate tool for purchase from a group of tools.
There is a vast array of products available for sale in the marketplace. Often times, in a retail environment, the products are displayed adjacent similar products or related products. As a result, when seeking to purchase a particular product, the consumer can be faced with a large number of products to choose from, and it can be difficult to select the appropriate product.
One example of such a product is hand tools. Hand tools are often designed primarily for use in a particular area of use, and each tool is generally designed to perform a specific type of job within the area of use. For example, some hand tools are designed primarily for use in paint and decorating projects. In addition, paint and decorating hand tools can be further divided into the type of paint and decorating job that the tool is primarily designed to perform, for example scraping tools for use in scraping surfaces, spreading tools that are designed for spreading various materials on surfaces, cutting tools for use in cutting various materials, and others.
A problem with many hand tools, including paint and decorating tools, is that many of the tools may look similar to one another, even though they may be constructed differently to perform quite different functions. For example, in one type of paint and decorating tool, often termed a putty knife, the putty knife can be designed primarily for scraping, or the putty knife can be designed primarily for spreading various materials. The flexibility of the knife portion of the putty knife typically varies depending upon the function that the putty knife is to perform (i.e. scraping or spreading) although each putty knife often looks generally similar in overall appearance. U.S. Pat. No. 6,668,751 discloses an approach to facilitate user selection of a tool, for example a putty knife.
In addition, many groups of tools include specialized tools that are designed to perform specific functions. To someone in need of a specialized tool for a specific task, but who is unfamiliar with these specialized tools and what they are to be used for, that person may not have sufficient knowledge to select and purchase the appropriate tool.
As a result, when purchasing a hand tool(s), proper selection of the appropriate tool for the task at hand can be difficult unless the purchaser has experience with the tool and knows what to look for. If the purchaser lacks familiarity with tools and the differences between various tools, the incorrect tool may be purchased for the required task. This problem is increasing as a result of the increasing number of homeowners and other do-it-yourselfers who are purchasing hand tools for home repair and home maintenance projects, who may have minimal or no prior experience with such tools. Even if the correct tool is purchased, it may have taken the purchaser a significant amount of time to determine which is the appropriate tool to purchase.
Thus, there is a need for a system that facilitates user selection and purchase of products such as paint and decorating hand tools to make it more likely that the user selects the correct tool needed for the task the purchaser needs to perform.
This disclosure relates to a point of purchase display for displaying and selling products, where the display facilitates user selection of the appropriate product for purchase from a group of products. The point of purchase display is particularly beneficial for use with hand tools, for example paint and decorating hand tools and related accessories. In the case of paint and decorating hand tools, the display is designed to assist the user in selecting the appropriate tool that is needed by the purchaser for the task that needs to be performed.
The point of purchase display uses color and/or text and/or illustrations to assist the purchaser in selecting the appropriate product for purchase. The use of color helps to, for example, categorize the products and draw the purchaser's attention to a particular product category. The use of text helps to, for example, explain the product category and its contents, as well as explaining the products e.g. what each product is and what each product does. The use of illustrations assists in, for example, explaining the intended use of the products in a category and drawing the purchaser's attention to particular products.
In addition, the product packaging can also include color and/or text and/or illustrations. The packaging can comprise labels affixed to the products, packages to which the products are secured, and/or containers in which the products are disposed. The color, text, and illustrations can be incorporated on the labels, the packages, or on the containers.
The point of purchase display includes at least one display section, and preferably at least two display sections. Each display section can include one or more of the following components: a header, a product mount area where product is mounted for display, and containers that contain products suitable for that display section. In one implementation, the header is disposed at the top of the display section, the product mount area is beneath the header, and the containers are beneath the product mount area.
Further, the products within each display section can be divided based on a variety of criteria, for example product quality and/or price. As an example, the product can be divided so that higher quality/priced products are located higher up in the display section, for example in the product mount area, middle quality/priced products are located in the middle, for example lower in the product mount area or higher in the containers, and lower quality/priced products are located lower in the display section, for example in the lowest containers.
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing or photograph executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
Referring initially to
The point of purchase display 10 includes at least one display section 12, and preferably at least two display sections 12, 14. Each display section 12, 14 displays a particular category of product. For example, display section 12 can display a product(s) 16 primarily used for scraping surfaces while display section 14 can display a product(s) 18 primarily used for spreading materials onto a surface, as will be described below with respect to
The display section 12 depicted in
Likewise, the display section 14 depicted in
Each display section 12, 14 uses color, text, and/or illustrations to assist the purchaser in selecting the appropriate product(s) 16, 18 for purchase. The use of color helps to, for example, categorize the products and draw the purchaser's attention to a particular product category. The use of text helps to, for example, explain the product category and its contents, as well as explaining the products e.g. what each product is and what each product does. The use of illustrations assists in, for example, explaining the intended use of the products in a category and draws the purchaser's attention to particular products.
In addition, the product packaging can also include color, text, and/or illustrations. The packaging can comprise labels affixed to the products, packages to which the products are secured, and/or the containers 26, 34 in which the products are disposed. The color, text, and illustrations can be incorporated on the labels, the packages, or on the containers.
In particular, at least a portion of the header 20 of the display section 12 is provided with color 40, for example red, while at least a portion of the header 28 of the display section 14 is provided with color 42, different from the color 40, for example blue. In addition, the header 20 can include text 44 while the header 28 can include text 46, with the text 44, 46 explaining the product category within the display sections 12, 14 and its contents and/or explaining the products within the display section 12, 14. Further, the header 20 can include illustration(s) 48 while the header 28 can include illustration(s) 50 to assist in explaining the intended use of the products within the display sections 12, 14 and/or drawing the purchaser's attention to particular products.
The mount area 22 and containers 26 are also provided with color 40, corresponding to the color 40 used in the header 20. In addition, products 16 within the mount area 22 and/or in the containers 26 can also include the color 40. Since a similar color 40 is used in the sections 20, 22, 26, and on the products, a user knows that a product that bears that color 40 belongs to the display section 12 and is to be used for a task associated with the display section 12. In a similar manner, the mount area 30, the containers 34, products 18 within the mount area 30 and/or in the containers 34 can also include the color 42, thereby differentiating the products within the display section 14 from the products within the display section 12.
To further aid the user in selecting the appropriate product, the mount areas 22, 30 can also include text 50, 52 and/or illustration(s) 54, 56. The text 50, 52 can be the same as or different than the text 44, 46 used in the headers 20, 28. In addition, the illustration(s) 54, 56 can be the same as or different than the illustration(s) used in the headers 20, 28.
The containers 26, 34 also include text 66, 68 and/or illustration(s) 70, 72. The text 66, 68 and the illustration(s) 70, 72 on the containers 26, 34 are preferably specific to the product contained with the containers, and is generally different than the text and/or illustrations in the other sections.
The products 16, 18 in the mount areas 22, 30 and products in the containers 26, 34 can also include text and/or illustrations, for example on labels affixed to the products, packaging for the products, or on the products themselves.
Turning now to
In
With reference to
Further, the header 114 includes text 126, for example “Painting Tools”, that explains the purpose, e.g. painting and decorating, of the tools within the display 100. The colored sections 118, 120, 122, 124 also include illustrations 128, 130, 132, 134 in the form of photographs that show examples of tools that can be included within each display section 102-106, as well as demonstrating exemplary uses for the tools in the display sections. Adjacent the illustrations 128-134 is additional text 136, 138 that explains the specific uses of the tools in each display section, e.g. tools for scraping, tools for spreading, applicator tools, cutting tools and accessories.
Each backdrop 150 is substantially solid in color, matching the colors used on the colored sections 118, 120, 122, 124. As shown in
As shown in
An example of a container 202 used in the display section 102 is illustrated in
The labels 204 are preferably manufactured separately from the containers 202, as shown in
The labels 204 are formed from, for example, a paper substrate with an adhesive backing for adhering the labels to the containers 202. The labels 204 could be vinyl instead of paper is desired. The adhesive backing is provided on a rear surface of the label so that the label can releasably adhere to a backing sheet. The front surface of the label is provided with a non-white and non-black background, for example red, blue or green.
The label 234 also includes a graphics box 236 including illustrations and text that serve to explain what the colors used in the display sections 102, 104 are meant to signify. For example, the box 236 contains an illustration of a colored device scraping a surface, the color of the device matching the color used in the display section 102, with words, for example “Stiff”, signifying that the scraping devices in the display section 102 bearing a similar color are relatively stiff. The label 234 also includes text to indicate, for example, the type of tool, what it does, its size, etc.
It is expected that higher quality tools will be mounted in the pegboard section 110, medium quality tools will be mounted lower in the pegboard 110 or higher up on the shelves 112 in the containers 202, and lower quality tools will occupy the lowermost containers 202. However, the arrangement of the tools could have other variations as well.
To further enhance separation of the display sections 102-106, colored dividers can be utilized to separate the display sections. The dividers would be colored to correspond to the particular display section it is associated with, and the dividers can be mounted on, for example, the pegboard sections, to extend vertically in the display.
As should be apparent, the point of purchase display 100 is designed to facilitate user selection of the appropriate tool. When approaching the display 100, the potential purchaser sees the text 126 indicating the purpose of the tools, and is put on notice by the differing colors that there may be a difference between the tools. The illustrations and text help to guide the purchaser to the proper tool, by illustrating to the user examples of how the tools in each display section are to be used, as well as explaining how the tools are used. Once the purchaser identifies the correct display section that encompasses the tools needed to accomplish the task at hand, the purchaser can then focus on the tools within the display section that bear a common color. The descriptions on the tools, together with any illustrations, can then guide the purchaser to a suitable tool.
Although the description refers to red, blue and green colors as the colors of the display sections 102-106, other colors can be used in place of red, blue and green. In addition, the colors need not be solid colors; combinations of colors could be used in the display sections 102-106, and color can implemented in a pattern, for example red, blue or green checkerboard patterns.
